Theater appliance



Sept. u14, 1925. 1,600,039

J. A. cuNNlNGHAM THEATER APPLIANCE Filed August 5", 1924 MHQM@ W @di bolt/M1164 Patented Sept. 14, 1926A.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH A. CUNNINGHAM, 0F PHlLADELlHIA, PENNSYLVANIA..

THEATER APPLIANCE.

Appncation inea Agust 5, 1924. serial No. 730,224.

rllhis invention embodies in'rprovements in theater appliances, and is more particularly adapted for use in staging illustrations of scenic changing games or the like.

The primary object of the invention has been to devise a suitably arranged and conveniently mounted combination of coacting elements, functioning. as a mechanically associated removable stage setting for a performer in enacting a uniquely novel form of entertainment, as a pantomime short act or otherwise, illustrating a game of golf or the like, whereby the motions of the performer as the ball driving strokes are made which actions may be of a highly instructive character, and the movements of the performer together with the changing of the scenery, as the performer supposedly traverses the course, are all visualized in a more truly realistic and pleasing manner, in simulation of an actual game.

The foregoing and otherobjects, aims and advantages, however, as well as the novelly combined means for attaining the same, will all be so clearly apparent it is believed, as incidental to the following disclosure, that `it would serve no useful purpose to further enlarge upon the same initially, and with these prefacing remarks, therefore, reference will now be immediately had to the accompanying drawings, illustrating a practical embodiment of the improvements.

'The single ligure of the drawings is a perspective view of an illustrative form of the improved apparatus, which is adapted for association with a suitably dimensioned opening in a forwardly located stage curtain, or the like, that is omitted from the drawings for clearer illustration.

From a broader aspect, the improvements embody a Ahorizontally disposed movable platform, functioning reversely to a treadmill-like action, as associated with an upstanding movable scenic background therefor, the said .platform and scenic .background heilig s'o mounted as to be operated in unison in the same direction, and with which preferably there is. directly associated a suitable end barrier or backstop means for retrievably catching or stopping the ball when driven by the performer from l the" platforin "The platformy `l` and the scenic background` sheet 2f therefor are illustrated as of the endless traveling type, being rotatably mounted upon the horizontal and the vert-ical rollers 8-4 and 5 6, respectively, but it is obvious that, if a greater length of the scenery were desired, the sheet 2 could be in lthe form of a roll or web paying off of one of the vertical rollers and being reeled up on the other.

The platform l and the background sheet 2 are so mounted as to be operated in unison .in the same direction, preferably at the same speed, and this is conventionally illustrated simply by the bevel gearing Ticarried by the shafts of the complementary rollers 3 and 5, the shaftpof the roller 3 being extended for manual operation by an attached crank S. It is obvious, however, that equivalent gearing could be supplied at either cr both ends of the apparatus, also .that the platfori'n and the background sheet may be operated in the same direction either to the left or to the right, and that driving means other than the manually operated crank 8 could beV employed, or in fact any ysuitable means might be employed for causjing the platform and the background sheet to be operated -in'unison or conjointly in the same direction as desired. i

The supporting basesfor the paired rollers S-t and 5h@ are preferably assembled as a. unit, being illustrated by the solid bottoni-wall 9 and rear wall l0, respectively, and also illustrated as being permanently joined, although it is obvious that they' might be detachably connected and might be constructed in the form of open frame- `work instead of as solid walls.

Upstanding barrier or backstop means, for catching the driven ball., are provided at either-cr both ends of the apparatus, said barrier being shown in the drawings as located at the' right side and disposed transversely of said endless platform, in substantially spaced relation to the right end thereof, at a position to be obscured from the audience by the closed portion of the stage curtain, or the like, not shown but hereinbefore referred to.

The said barrier vcouldbemounted entirely separate of the other parts of the apparatus, but it preferably is either a permanently fixed or a detachably assembled part of the-unit supporting walls y9*]0. It -may simply consist ofthe endyvall l1 provided at its inside face with a series of transversely disposed deflecting vanes l2 which are suitably supported in spaced relation to each other and, their rear edge faces, to the said end wall 11. is actually illustrated, however, the uppermost of these vanos, indicated at 13,V is shown wider than the others, and is attached its rear to the inside face of the end wall 11. Also, a transver ely disposed gutter or trough 11i is shown as located towards the b ttom of the barrier, and this gutter or trough may be so slightly inclined, if desired, in directioi to discharge either the fr nt or at th rear of the apparatus. liVhen such specifi construction is employed, the deiiectin'V vanes 12 may be conveniently projected from a pair of upstanding,` bars 15, substantially spaced forwardly of the end ,vall 1l., and which extend between the uppermost vane 13 and the gutter or trough 14;. is not strictly essential, however, that the barrier be constructed with the solid wall 1l, as the latter could he in the nature of frame.mormting` a net behind said vanos, or it could be a not alone without the employment of said deectina vanes.

lt is to be understood, of course, that rollers 3 and 4; and the rollers 5 an would be spaced sufliciently far apart, in their respective paired relation, to pro vide for the display of a substantial por tion of the scenery, on the background sheet 2, at all times through the opening,1 in the stage curtain aforementioned, whereas the extreme ends of and n'iountinps for the platform 1 and the background sheet 2, as well as the end barrier or backstop means, would all be hidden from the view of the audience by the closed portion of the stage curtain.

lt follows that the performer, the top surface of the platformand the scenic background would alone stand out in the setting, as if embordered like a panel, and realism would be enhanced by providing' the outer'face of the platform 1 with a roughened coatin of material in imitation of turfy or sward-like ground, or otherwise in simulation of a golf course or the like.

ln operation, with the end barrier located at the right side of the apparatus as viewed from the audience and as shown in the drawings, the performer will enter upon the scene at the left side of the platform 1 from behind the drop curtain or the like, and facing the audience from a position towards the leftside of the platform, adjacently of the scenic background, he will then place a golf ball or its equivalent, perhaps a softer imitation thereof would be preferable, upon the platform 1 at a suit able position towards the forward portion and to the left of the center thereof, employing a tee-ing cup for that purpose if so desired.

On making a right hand stroke, therefore, ball will ybe tniven to the barrier at the right side, and having so driven the ball the performer will then at once start to walk in a direction towards said barrier.

Immediately upon doing so, the mechanism will be started in motion by an assistant behind the scene, whereupon the platforn'i 1 and the scenic background 2 will travel in unison or conjointly, at an appropriate determined speed, towards the left or in a. direction the reverse of the walkingv movements of the performer, with the obvious resultant appearance of the performer walking the course towards the next. position in the field.

After afshort period of such motions, and as the performer supposedly approaches the new position, an assistant, unobserved by the audience, will replace the recovered ball, or another one, upon the moving plat form at the right forward side thereof, which will cause the newly placed ball to travel, with the platform, towards the performer but with the appearance of the performer approachingu the ball.

lillhen the newly placed ball approximately reaches the desired position relatively to the performer, for the next drive or stroke, the apparatus is stopped by the assistant at the same time that the performer ceases his walking operations, whercaftery the cycle of operations may be indefinitely repeated.

lt will be obvious that if the performer is to make a left hand driving` stroke, with the barrier located at the right side of the apparatus as shown, he would not then face the audience at that time, and the ball would be placed at a position towards the rear of the platform at the left of the center thereof. If, however, the barrier be located at the left side of the apparatus, then the performer and the ball would occupy positions at the right end of the platform and the conditions would otherwise be exactly reversed, as will be apparent, it being further understood that the platform and the scenic background may be operated in either or both directions as circumstances may require.

lith the form of barrier as illustrated, the driven ball would be stopped and deflected by and through the vanos thereof, thence falling down within the space between the rear edges of vanes and the wall 11, or the ball would follow an analogous course if a net were employed instead of the solid wall'11, and in either instance if the gutter or trough 14 be also employed, then the ball would be delivered and recovered therefrom at either end of the trough, as desired, dependent upon its direction of inclination.

Although I have thus fully disclosed vthe improvements, it will nevertheless be understood that 1 do not restrict myself to all the details exactly as shown and described, eX-

cepting as they may come within the terms of the claims made, or equivalent elements or combinations thereof,'or as fairlyinterpreted in the light of the specification if necessary, for it is obvious that alterations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, electrical means may be supplied in substitution for the manually operated means for driving the platform and scenic background, and any suitable means may be employed, if desired, on the outer face of the platform for holding the ball positioned against rolling off of the platform when placed thereon.

What I do claim as new and patentable, 1s

l. In theater appliances of the character disclosed, the combination of a portable base support, an upstanding rear support carried by said base support, an endless platform so mounted upon said base support as to be continuously fed longitudinally thereover, a scenic background sheet so mounted upon said upstanding rear support as to be continuously fed therealong longitudinally of said platform, upstanding end barrier means carried by said base support and disposed transversely of said platform, the said barrier means being adapted for retrieving a ball driven from said platform and all of the aforesaid elements being assembled as a portable whole, and means for imparting individual continuous feeding motion, in the same relative directions, simultaneously to said platform, upstanding end barrier means carried by said base support and disposed transversely of said platform, the said barrier means embodying a wall having a transversely disposed trough, along its lower front face, and a vertical series of transversely disposed deflecting vanes thereabove, being adapted for retrieving a ball driven from said endless platform, theV said base support, rear support and end barrier means being associated as an assembled portable unit, and

means coacting between said endless platform and said scenic background sheet for imparting individual continuous feeding motion, in the same relative directions of movement, simultaneously to the said platform and to the said sheet.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

JOSEPH A. CUNNINGHAM. 

